Cables used in overhead transmission and distribution systems conventionally require a variety of devices for their installation and permanent retention on aerial fixtures. Often times, certain devices are used for installing the cables and then replaced with permanent fixtures which retain the cables for indefinite periods of time. The use of these installation and permanent retention components comes at a high cost to utility companies. These costs, coupled with the expense in man hours for installation of the cables adds significant costs to the operational budgets of the utility companies, which is passed along to the consumer in the form of higher utility bills.
One device that is conventionally used to retain cables in aerial positions is a cable spacer. The conventional cable spacer connects to a messenger wire or messenger cable and retains the cables in a suspended position below the messenger wire or messenger cable. Due to the elongate nature of the cable and the resulting weight of the cable, the spacers must be positioned at predetermined intervals along the cable path. The cable spacers are generally positioned at these predetermined intervals and then the cable is strung through each of the spacers. However, it is often difficult to move the cable through the spacers due to the frictional resistance of the cable along the spacer. Similarly, it is often difficult to reposition the spacer if needed, since the cables would need to be removed from the spacer before the spacer is detached from the messenger wire. This inflexibility of conventional spacers can add significantly to the already high costs of installing transmission and distribution cables.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.